Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
PA county official: DOJ identified discarded ballots as being for Trump
Politico
Election experts have accused the Justice Department of politicizing a still-pending investigation.
By ZACH MONTELLARO and HOLLY OTTERBEIN
09/25/2020 04:44 PM EDT
A temporary employee “incorrectly discarded” a handful of ballots in mid-September, the county manager of Luzerne County, Pa. said Thursday, but county officials were unaware of who the ballots were cast for until the Department of Justice identified the voters as supporters of President Donald Trump.
In a lengthy statement issued on Friday, County Manager C. David Pedri laid out how ballots were discarded and how county officials discovered the problem and notified law enforcement.
The ballots shot into national news on Thursday when the DOJ issued a pair of unusual press releases in apparent coordination with the White House, which teased the announcement earlier in the day. Election experts accused the Justice Department of politicizing a still-pending investigation — and pointed to the revelation that seven of the nine discarded ballots had been cast for Trump as especially concerning.
Pedri’s statement said that an unidentified “temporary seasonal independent contractor” was assigned to sort mail received by the elections bureau, and started work on Sept. 14.
On Sept. 16, Luzerne County Elections Director Shelby Watchilla discovered that the worker “incorrectly discarded into the office trash UMOVA ballots” — which are ballots provided to Americans living overseas and military voters — and she “immediately began an internal inquiry and informed her direct supervisor,” Perdri said. Following the inquiry, county staff contacted the local district attorney, who referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney for the region.
snip
Election experts have accused the Justice Department of politicizing a still-pending investigation.
By ZACH MONTELLARO and HOLLY OTTERBEIN
09/25/2020 04:44 PM EDT
A temporary employee “incorrectly discarded” a handful of ballots in mid-September, the county manager of Luzerne County, Pa. said Thursday, but county officials were unaware of who the ballots were cast for until the Department of Justice identified the voters as supporters of President Donald Trump.
In a lengthy statement issued on Friday, County Manager C. David Pedri laid out how ballots were discarded and how county officials discovered the problem and notified law enforcement.
The ballots shot into national news on Thursday when the DOJ issued a pair of unusual press releases in apparent coordination with the White House, which teased the announcement earlier in the day. Election experts accused the Justice Department of politicizing a still-pending investigation — and pointed to the revelation that seven of the nine discarded ballots had been cast for Trump as especially concerning.
Pedri’s statement said that an unidentified “temporary seasonal independent contractor” was assigned to sort mail received by the elections bureau, and started work on Sept. 14.
On Sept. 16, Luzerne County Elections Director Shelby Watchilla discovered that the worker “incorrectly discarded into the office trash UMOVA ballots” — which are ballots provided to Americans living overseas and military voters — and she “immediately began an internal inquiry and informed her direct supervisor,” Perdri said. Following the inquiry, county staff contacted the local district attorney, who referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney for the region.
snip
more at link
Another vital report from one of Politico's best journalists!
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
